14/03/22 19:08

Yes, I’m back in the pub again.  But that’s okay.  Seventeen more days and I’ll be back in Paris.  In fact, at this time on the Thursday, I’ll be hopefully sitting in a restaurant in Montmartre, getting ready for dessert – that’s if I go by French time.  My plan for the evening is to be sat somewhere around place du Tertre before taking a short walk around the corner to the Sacre Coeur.  It’s meant to close at half-ten in the evening and I’m hoping that not only will it be open, but hopefully quiet enough for some exploratory photos.  But we need to leave by around quarter past ten so that Nev and I can take a relatively romantic stroll down the stairs, past the merry-go-round and along Boulevard Marguerite de Rochechouart and on toward the naughty shops.  These shops must surely be missing the now closed museé de l’érotisme.  It wasn’t open for long and the trade was there beforehand, quite synonymous with the area already.  Walking along the boulevard de Clichy, you can get a sense of how things used to be in Pigalle before the clean up.  This is starting to sound like a chapter rather than a blog post.  Okay, time to carry on telling my plans to the fourth window; a reference to my learnings with the Open University for my degrees. Once we’ve eaten, visited the basilica and taken a walk to ground level, we’re FINALLY going into the Moulin Rouge.  Nev doesn’t know that I’ve booked us VIP tickets as a thank you.  She doesn’t even know we’re going.  For our anniversary, I bought her a bracelet from the Moulin Rouge shop in Paris.  I gave her the paperwork almost as a tip-off.  I’m usually not very good at keeping surprises.  So far, it’s been a fortnight and I’ve said nothing, aside from the fact we’re dressing up for dinner on the Thursday.

My original plan for our arrival has changed owing to the collection point at the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles not being available until three in the afternoon. Instead, we’ll go and collect my bits – medical certificate pending a signature approval – on Friday, head to Parc André-Citroen and then make a leisurely return to the hôtel des Écrivains in the 13^th, just off Place d’Italie.   Once back we’ll probably have a little nap before heading to the quartier Latin and Jardin du Roy for my moules et carnard dîner.  Then my treats are over.  I’ll aim to get a decent breakfast – it’s not as important to the French as their lunch is. That’s why it’s called petit-déjeuner, or small lunch.  I can half understand it as the food is always a pleasure in Paris.  But there’s not much that can compare to a fresh viennoiserie from the boulangerie in the morning.  A beignet or a pain au chocolate seriously hits the sweet spot for a gorgeously easy morning.  But considering I had a chicken chow mien before the London half marathon and pretty much nothing the night before the London marathon, Nev is hoping to ensure that I’m ready for this one.  And looked after at the end of it.  Yes, I’m finishing just outside Bois de Boulogne, in Avenue Foch and I’m staying at almost the other side of Paris.  The return to the hotel is a little worrying.  I’ll more than likely not change my shoes as I think I’ll aim to keep moving until I can get out of the shower/bath and just lay on the bed for Nev to massage my thighs.  Monday will be quiet but I still want to attempt walking around the 13^th, possibly to the salon de thé at La Mosquée.  If all goes well, we’ll be on the baton Mouche on Friday giving us Saturday to do things together like Westfield at Les Halles.  There’s not really much that I feel I want to do on this trip.  Although the idea of popping to 74 rue du Cardinal Lemoine in the 5^th could be on the cards (a quick nod to Hemingway).  The catacombs and musée de vin as well as the Statue of Liberty by pont de Grenelle could be nice.  I’m a little conscious of finances at the moment as I’ve had a lot of expenses this year already and with a rugby tour or the Isle of Wight at the end of April, it’s all money.

Thursday, we’ll get to the hotel after buying a Navigo Easy each.  This will be topped up with the carnet that should hopefully cover us for travel as well as providing a nice physical reminder and practical way of getting around in the future.  From there, I’m easy until we leave for Montmartre; it’ll take just under an hour by Metro and then maybe two hours for dinner.  If we leave the hotel by 5, we should have it all nailed for the Revue Féerie.  And my one late night.